Gerasimos bishop of Korone (eleventh century)

Obverse

Inscription of four lines, traces of decoration above. No visible border.

ΚΕΟ.ΘΕΙΤ.ΔΟΥ.

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of four lines, traces of decoration above. Indeterminate border.

 ..ΡΑ..ΜΕ.ΙΣΚΟΠ.ΟΡΝ

Γερασίμῳ ἐπισκόπῳΚορώνης

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Γερασίμῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Κορώνης.

Lord, help your servant Gerasimos bishop of Korone.

Commentary

The letters of the last line are preserved only in their upper half. Thus, what we read as Ο could conceivably be the upper half of a wide Α. But even in this case, we would not restore the name as Μαρωνείας since this see was an archbishopric.

Gerasimos, bishop of Korone, is mentioned on a very "provincial" seal which Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 647, dated to the second half of the 10th century. He could be identical with the owner of the present seal, which was made by an experienced engraver.

The ancient Korone was situated near the modern village of Petalidi (Messenia); the medieval and modern town occupies the location of ancient Asine. The bishopric, given as a suffragan to Patras sometime between 802 and 806 (Σαρσοκορώνη: problematic name on which see M. Kordoses, "Ἡ ἀρχαία Ἀρκαδικὴ πόλη Κορώνη καὶ ἡ Βυζαντινὴ Σαρσοκορώνη," Δωδώνη 16/1 [1987] 243-52), appears for the first time in an episcopal list of the early 10th century (Darrouzès, Notitiae, no. 7, line 552). A bishop of Korone is mentioned by Michael Psellos (MB V, 378). Later (14th c.) Korone will be attached to Monembasia. See Laurent, Corpus V/1, 486; Fedalto, 499-500; ODB II, 1149-50.